Title: The Foxling Soldati
Series: Soldati Hearts: Book Two
Author: Charlie Cochet
Narrator: Manuel Pombo
Publisher: Dreamspinner Press
Run Time: 4 hours and 3 minutes
Category: Fantasy
At a Glance: For me, The Foxling Soldati is a step up in story and narration for several reasons. Having found Rayner to be a much more engaging character in The Soldati Prince than the MC, Khalon, and Toka to be sweet and charming, I was invested in their story from the beginning.
Reviewed By: Jovan
Blurb: Foxling Toka has served the Soldati king for centuries, and now he attends to the kingdom’s cherished Soldati prince. It’s a position of honor, and as Toka helps the once-human prince adapt to their magical realm, he finds joy in their friendship. He also grows bolder in his encounters with Rayner, a Soldati warrior and the king’s second. But the laws are clear: servants and Soldati are not permitted to mate. It doesn’t matter that Toka lost his heart to the dashing cad long ago.
Rayner never imagined he would fall in love with a servant, but the clever and beautiful foxling has ensnared him, and he resents the regulations keeping them apart. When an arrogant and spiteful king visits from a neighboring realm, Rayner is in danger of losing everything. But Soldati warriors don’t surrender, and he intends to fight all the harder to keep Toka where he belongs – in Rayner’s arms.
Review: The Foxling Soldati, the second installment of the Soldati Hearts series, follows King Khalon’s second-in-command, Rayner, and the Soldati Prince’s servant, Toka. After centuries of flirtation and kisses, they finally succumb to their desires, knowing that the law forbids them from being mated. Even though Toka tries to keep from hoping for more and Rayner resents the laws that keep him from mating Toka, having been alive for centuries in a realm that has existed for millennia, they are faithful subjects to the laws of their kingdom. Rayner and Toka’s inability to have the relationship they want is actually the least harmful of the laws of the realm to which they find themselves subjected.
During a visit by King Pavoni, from the neighboring realm, Orso, Rayner and Toka are faced with the consequences of laws in which the words of those in power are automatically worth more, no matter how corrupt and despised the person, while those of lesser station have no recourse for defense or protection. To avoid spoilers, the repercussions of King Pavoni’s despotism and perversion, combined with King Khalon’s staunch adherence to tradition and, in his own words, his arrogance and cowardice, have a resounding impact on not only on Rayner and Toka but Riley, Khalon and the entire kingdom.
For me, The Foxling Soldati is a step up in story and narration for several reasons. Having found Rayner to be a much more engaging character in The Soldati Prince than the MC, Khalon, and Toka to be sweet and charming, I was invested in their story from the beginning. Additionally, the central conflict of this story is much more complex and integral to all the characters as opposed to being driven solely by one MC’s feelings, as in the first novella. Additionally, Manuel Pombo’s narration technique is definitely better than in The Soldati Prince. His pacing and delivery have improved, there are notably fewer instances where sentences run together, and he takes more care with pauses. Moreover, Pombo is much better at maintaining character voices, so it was a lot easier to simply enjoy the beauty of his voice. His decision for character voices is one of the best aspects of his narration, as each voice fits the characters very well, particularly his voice work for King Pavoni, where he manages to infuse it with all the smug creepiness it needs.
The Foxling Soldati is sweet, but layered, and although The Soldati Prince</i< explains more of the world, you can actually enjoy The Foxling Soldati on its own.
You can buy The Foxling Soldati here:
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